Here is a quick preview of the 2011 Heisman Trophy Presentation, with everything you need to get prepped for a fun night of honoring five of college football’s best this year.

Heisman Trophy Presentation Info

• Heisman Trophy Presentation Date: Saturday, December 10th
• Heisman Trophy Presentation Time: 8:00 ET (after Indiana-Kentucky!!!)
• Heisman Trophy Presentation TV: ESPN
• Heisman Trophy Presentation Location: Downtown Athletic Club in New York City
• Heisman Trophy Official Website: Heisman.com
• Heisman Trophy History: List of Past Heisman Trophy Winners

Image source: PHELAN M. EBENHACK — AP Photo via Kentucky.com

Heisman Trophy Prediction and Poll

Earlier this week, MSF’s Jim McGrew posted his Heisman Trophy Preview and Prediction. His pick to win was Robert Griffin III of Baylor, aka RG3, and this jives with what most experts think.

The website StiffArmTrophy.com has as accurate a methodology for predicting the Heisman Trophy winner as anyone. They compile all published Heisman votes by writers who actually have a vote, and use the data to make projections about what will be announced.

As of me writing this, SAT has 231 votes compiled. With this information they are projecting Griffin to be the winner in a relative landslide, stating that he’ll be “77% of a perfect unanimous #1 selection.” This makes perfect sense. Griffin has all of the momentum, has the most “Heisman moments” of any of the finalists, and the majority of the published ballots I’ve seen have him on top.

Also, Griffin is a fascinating kid who truly, truly, embodies the term student-athlete, which is too often a misnomer in major college sports. Not with RG3. He is one of the most impressive great college athletes that I’ve seen in a long time, both on and more importantly off the field.

So I’ll echo Jim and echo Stiff Arm Trophy. I think Griffin will win, and ultimately I think he’d get my vote (though I do think that people are overlooking the impact “The Honey Badger” Mathieu had on LSU’s dominance this year).

But the question is, who would you vote for? Vote and then chime in below in the comment section to state your case.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Heisman Trophy Finalist Highlights

If you want to get to know the Heisman Trophy finalists a little bit better before tonight’s presentation of the award, check out these YouTube videos for highlights, and click on the links to see their stats.

Robert Griffin III

Andrew Luck

Montee Ball

Trent Richardson

Tyrann Mathieu

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The Heisman Trophy finalists of 2011.

With the Heisman voting upon us and the winner to be announced Saturday night at the Downtown Athletic Club in Lower Manhattan, let’s take a look at the five worthy candidates who will be in New York, plus the snub of a player with better numbers than his collegiate predecessors who actually won the Heisman trophy.

2011 Heisman Trophy Finalists

Robert Griffin lll, alias RG3

What this guy has done this year has been Star Wars amazing, leading his Baylor Bears to an impressive 9-3 record. The junior QB threw 36 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions, ran for 9 more TDs, passed for 3,998 yards and ran for another 644 yards.

Wow!

A boost for Griffin is that he came up with big games late in the season against Big 12 powerhouses Oklahoma (4 TDs, 479 yards passing) and Texas (4 TDs, 2 passing, 2 rushing, 320 yards passing).

Currently RG3 is the odds on favorite to win the Heisman, as evidenced by his huge lead at Heisman-predicting StiffArmTrophy.com.

Andrew Luck

The early favorite at the beginning of the season, Luck posted gaudy numbers with 35 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and 3,170 yards. His two biggest deterrents from winning this year are losing in the big game versus Oregon and that loss preventing him from playing in the first ever Pac-12 championship game.

If Luck had beaten Oregon and shined in the conference title game, he wins.  Didn’t happen.

Trent Richardson

The Alabama RB had a terrific season and will be an impact NFL player. With 23 touchdowns, 1,583 rushing yards, and some incredible, eye-popping plays late in the season, Richardson vaulted up in the Heisman race.

However, these stats are not the kind that will spring him to the Heisman trophy, despite the impact he has made with a possible Crimson Tide BCS title team.

Montee Ball

For sheer numbers, this Wisconsin RB should be the favorite to win the Heisman trophy.

His 38 touchdowns (32 rushing, 6 receiving), and 1,759 rushing yards led Wisconsin to the inaugural Big 10 Championship Game. His 4-TD performance in the Badgers’ win versus. the Spartans further added to his Heisman appeal.

Anyone within one touchdown of Oklahoma State legend Barry Sanders’ record 39 touchdowns should be #1 or #2 in the voting, but a lack of support among the voters, and perhaps being somewhat overshadowed by QB Russell Wilson, will prevent Ball from getting the trophy.

Tyrann Mathieu

A difference maker in the LSU defensive backfield (71 tackles, 6 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions) and a game-changing knack for turning games around with his punt return ability, the “Honey Badger” and his explosive skills helped LSU to a #1 ranking and a match up in the BCS title game vs. Alabama. His four total TDs (2 punt returns, 2 fumble returns) add to his Heisman resume.

While this sophomore cornerback won’t win the Heisman Trophy this year, he has electrified the college football world.

And now onto this year’s biggest snub…

Matt Barkley

The USC quarterback was the most glaring snub for the five finalists, perhaps due in part to the NCAA sanctions imposed on USC this season.

Barkley not only had more touchdowns (39) than Luck (35) and fewer interceptions (7 and 9), but he also threw for more touchdowns than former USC Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. As Stu (Ed Helms) in The Hangover ll said, “What is going on here?”

Plus, the Trojans finished the year as the hottest team in college football, ranked #5 in the Ap final poll with a record of 10-2, including a win at Oregon.

2011 Heisman Trophy Prediction

When the final votes are cast, it will be a Baylor Bear as your 2011 Heisman Award winner.

Here is the predicted order:

1. Griffin
2. Luck
3. Richardson
4. Ball
5. Mathieu

For 2012, perhaps Matt Barkley will stay at USC and contend for the Heisman Award along with a National Title.

But most importantly, what do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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From David Gilreath’s return of the opening kickoff until the final whistle prompted the student body to storm the field, the atmosphere was absolutely electric.

The Badgers had a dominant backfield with the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in John Clay as well as an excellent change-of-pace back in sophomore James White.  The duo combined for 38 carries on 179 yards in helping to lead UW to a 31-18 upset of the Buckeyes on their way to a Rose Bowl berth.

Toiling on that depth chart was Montee Ball, who used that game as a breakout party, of sorts.

It was a breakout in the fact that he didn’t play a single snap against Ohio State, but played the rest of the season with a chip on his shoulder, rushing for over 800 yards in the last six games of the season and stealing the starting job from Clay in the process. Ball had twice as many carries as Clay in the Rose Bowl, forcing Clay into the NFL Draft (where he was not drafted) and establishing Ball as the lead back for this year’s incarnation of the Badgers’ rushing attack.

It baffles me that Montee Ball hasn’t gotten much Heisman love for his 2011 season. I’ve seen him fifth out of five in some lists, or just receiving “honorable mention” in others.

Have these people seen this guy play?

He’s been remarkably consistent week in and week out. His lowest yardage total (rushing and receiving combined) this season is 109 yards, in the Badgers’ 48-17 rout of Nebraska on October 1.

Ball is averaging 156 total yards per game, and will certainly surpass 2,000 yards from scrimmage by the end of the season. His 1,622 rushing yards rank second nationally, and we haven’t even talked about the touchdowns yet.

Ball has 34 touchdowns on the season with two games to play, giving him a great chance to tie or break Barry Sanders’ record of 39. Considering Ball is averaging 2.8 touchdowns per game, I’d say he’s got a decent shot.

Guys like Sanders are talked about in the same breath with the greatest college football players of all time. I’m not saying Ball is there, or really anywhere close, but putting up those kinds of stats is no fluke. And it’s not like the Badgers are some chump team either. They’re a pair of Hail Mary losses away from playing LSU for the national title.

Earlier this season, Russell Wilson was getting some Heisman love, and rightfully so. He’s been fantastic. But he walked into an ideal situation, with an established line and an excellent core of running backs. And as the season has progressed, it’s become apparent that Wilson wouldn’t be having the success he’s having without Montee Ball, even if Ball thinks it should be Wilson who deserves the Heisman.

The detractors will say that he’s a system running back who benefits from mammoth lineman playing against inferior opponents.

My counter: So what?

It’s not like he’s only beating up on the Indianas of the world (Sorry, Jerod). Just take a look at his 156-yard, four-touchdown performance against Penn State this past weekend.

Should Trent Richardson be the front runner? Yeah, probably. Do the other four finalists need to be quarterbacks? Absolutely not.

I think Matt Barkley, Case Keenum and Robert Griffin III (that’s right, not Andrew Luck, but that’s a whole different story) deserve a spot at the Heisman ceremony too; as well as Montee Ball.

With the official announcement of the award a mere 5+ hours away, I am here with one final post of support for one of the most dominating defense presences I can ever remember in college football.

Courtesy of the band Sidetrack (with a hat tip to TBL), I present two terrific song parodies inspired by the great Suh: A Boy Named Suh and Runaround Suh.

He gave a very nice and heartfelt speech in which he thanked “everyone in his life.” He becomes the second straight sophomore to win the trophy, joining Tim Tebow from last season. They are the only two sophomores to ever win the Heisman Trophy.

Sam Bradford is a member of the Cherokee Indian tribe. I did not realize that until earlier today.

What do you think of Sam Bradford winning the Heisman Trophy?

Okay, so here is how the voting broke down:

Sam Bradford – 1,726 votes

Colt McCoy – 1,604 votes

Tim Tebow – 1,575 votes

Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, Shonn Greene, and Pat White rounded out the top 7.

Interestingly, Tim Tebow received the most first place votes, but still finished in third place.

Here is the statistical breakdown from the 2008 season for Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and his two closest competitors, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow:

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma:

• QB Rating: 186.29
• Passing Yards: 4,464
• Passing Touchdowns: 48
• Completion: 68.3%
• Yards Per Attempt: 10.10
• Interceptions: 6
• Rushing Yards: 65
• Rushing TDs: 5

Colt McCoy, Texas:

• QB Rating: 179.2
• Passing Yards: 3,445
• Passing Touchdowns: 32
• Completion: 77.6%
• Yards Per Attempt: 9.19
• Interceptions: 7
• Rushing Yards: 576
• Rushing TDs: 10

Tim Tebow, Florida:

• QB Rating: 176.74
• Passing Yards: 2,515
• Passing Touchdowns: 28
• Completion: 64.9%
• Yards Per Attempt: 9.4
• Interceptions: 2
• Rushing Yards: 564
• Rushing TDs: 12

Interesting historical note: The only other time that the margin between the first and third place finisher was close was back in 2001. That season, Eric Crouch of Nebraska won the Heisman Trophy, while Rex Grossman of Florida and Ken Dorsey of Miami finished second and third, respectively.

Follow the link for our preview of the 2009 Heisman Trophy presentation.

Update: Sam Bradford has won the Heisman Trophy over Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow

Tonight, one college football player will have their name permanently etched alongside the all-time greats. For Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy, winning the Heisman Trophy forever place their name on the greatest individual list of players in the history of college football. For Tim Tebow, winning a second Heisman Trophy would place him in one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports: 2-time Heisman Trophy winners. Currently, only Archie Griffin is a member. Tim Tebow could become the second.

In all of my years following college football and the Heisman Trophy, I can remember few that were this up in the air. Literally any of these three guys could be announced the winner and it would not surprise me in the slightest. I remember the 1989 race was pretty open. Andre Ware of Houston ended up beating out Anthony Thompson of Indiana, primarily because the Hoosiers choked against Purdue and finished 5-6. But this race has three legitimate candidates.

Let’s run through a quick 2008 Heisman Trophy Preview:

• Who: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma; Colt McCoy, Texas; Tim Tebow, Florida
• What: 2008 Heisman Trophy Presentation
• When: December 13 at 8:00 ET on ESPN
• Where: Downtown Athletic Club, New York
• Why: Because it’s presented every year, and it is the single most prestigious individual honor in sport.

A quick statistical comparison between the three candidates:

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma:

• QB Rating: 186.29
• Passing Yards: 4,464
• Passing Touchdowns: 48
• Completion: 68.3%
• Yards Per Attempt: 10.10
• Interceptions: 6
• Rushing Yards: 65
• Rushing TDs: 5

Colt McCoy, Texas:

• QB Rating: 179.2
• Passing Yards: 3,445
• Passing Touchdowns: 32
• Completion: 77.6%
• Yards Per Attempt: 9.19
• Interceptions: 7
• Rushing Yards: 576
• Rushing TDs: 10

Tim Tebow, Florida:

• QB Rating: 176.74
• Passing Yards: 2,515
• Passing Touchdowns: 28
• Completion: 64.9%
• Yards Per Attempt: 9.4
• Interceptions: 2
• Rushing Yards: 564
• Rushing TDs: 12

As you can see from comparing the stats, no one stands out so far above the pack that the decision is easy. Sure, Sam Bradford has plenty more yards and TDs, but he does not have the rushing that McCoy and Tebow bring to the table. And Colt McCoy broke Daunte Culpepper’s Division I record for completion percentage. You can stare at the stats all day long and I don’t think it makes the decision any more clear.

Let’s take a quick rundown and see how the “experts” are picking:

Ivan Maisel, ESPN: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

Pat Forde, ESPN: Colt McCoy, Texas

Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Tim Tebow, Florida

Beano Cook, ESPN: Tim Tebow, Florida

Mel Kiper, Jr., ESPN: Colt McCoy, Texas

Stewart Mandel, SI.com: Tim Tebow, Florida

(Update: Just caught this on SI.com. They actually reveal the official Heisman ballots of the voters who write for SI. Pretty interesting. Based on this tiny sample, looks like it’s a two-man race between Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy.)

I just realized there is really no point in doing this. These guys don’t know any more than you or I do about who will win, or who deserves it to win. This year’s Heisman Trophy will come down to how each individual voter defines “most outstanding”.

For me, I give the slight edge to Colt McCoy. He does not have the superstar talent around him that Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow have, and has been forced to do more on his own. He set the NCAA record for completion percentage, and if Texas had finished undefeated McCoy would be a shoe-in. Well, it was only a dropped INT by a Texas DB that prevented them from beating Texas Tech. Colt McCoy did everything he could in that game. And in the head-to-head matchup between McCoy and Bradford, McCoy lifted his team to victory.

So my vote goes to Colt McCoy. Who does your vote go to?

Use the comments to defend your selection and argue for you candidate. And for the record, I think it stinks that Graham Harrell didn’t get an invite to New York. Whether he had a legit chance to win or not, he should have been there. His team had one loss in the same conference as McCoy and Bradford and his stats were incredible. He got jobbed.

Sam Bradford has thrown for 4468 yards and 48 touchdowns in an extremely tough Big 12 conference. In the last 5 games, Oklahoma has hung at least 60 points on their opponent. These opponents include the second ranked Texas Tech and the twelfth ranked Oklahoma State. This impressive season could mean that Sam Bradford will be the Heisman Trophy winner.

Colt McCoy has also put his name in the hat for the Heisman Trophy this season, throwing for 3445 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 10 more on his own. He has truly been the MVP for the Longhorns, who were kept out of the National Championship game by the flawed BCS, but that’s another story.

Other candidates include Florida’s Tim Tebow, Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell, and Iowa’s Shonn Greene.

Last years Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, has also had a great season with 25 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns to boot. This is more impressive considering the utter class that is the SEC, however his 2515 passing yards combined with his TD rate simply cannot compare to either Sam Bradford or McCoy.

Graham Harrell, who leads the always impressive Texas Tech offense, is a candidate who also had a good year. With 4747 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes, Harrell is no slouch, but his team’s crushing loss to Oklahoma definitely hurt his chances for the Heisman Trophy.

Finally the NCAA’s leading rusher for the season, Shonn Greene definitely deserves to be considered a candidate. Greene rushed for at least 100 yards every game this season. With 1729 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, Greene is certainly no slouch, but 2008 was the year of the quarterback, and Greene does not have a chance at this year’s Heisman Trophy.

The Heisman Trophy winner will be announced on December 15, 2008 in New York.

This morning while sitting on the throne and taking care of business (I ate a huge meal at Chili’s last night…fyi) I read something in the Sporting News that made me want grab the plunger and plunge the wooden handle into my eye socket: Curtis Painter, senior quarterback at Purdue, has an official Heisman Trophy campaign.

What? Really?

The only reason I tell you that I was near a toilet while reading this story is that my first reaction should have been to dump the entire magazine into the crapper and flush immediately. Unfortunately, as if passing a car wreck on the side of the road, I simply could not resist the urge to read on.

Apparently, Purdue has invested money in creating DVDs and calendars entitled “Painting a Masterpiece” that promote Curtis Painter’s storied career at Purdue University. It includes all of his big game performances, clutch TD passes against top-ranked teams, and the leadership qualities he has displayed in leading Purdue to Big Ten titles and BCS appearances.

If you did not get smacked in the face with the sarcasm of that last statement, you’re a moron. If that were actually true, Purdue promoting Painter’s big game performances, it would be a pretty short DVD. The only one “painting a masterpiece” in this story is me while I was taking the Browns to the Super Bowl as I was reading.

What the hell is the world coming to? Curtis Painter is being heavily promoted for the Heisman Trophy? I always thought the criteria was “most outstanding player in college football”, not “senior quarterback on a mid-level BCS conference team who racks a bunch of stats against Eastern Illinois and South Idaho Tech…but he’s a senior quarterback, so why not?” Apparently this is what Purdue’s crack Sports Information Department thought.

Quick…name for me a memorable Curtis Painter performance that mattered.

Waiting…

Waiting…

And DO NOT say that he was MVP of the Motor City Bowl. Heisman Trophy candidates do not play in the Motor City Bowl! Ever! And this guy has an official Heisman campaign?

Purdue may as well promote Matt Painter or Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent…who I’m sure could complete a “bubble screen” and would at least provide some mobility when the pocket collapses…and yes, I’m stereotyping. Get over it.)

If Curtis Painter has a Heisman campaign, then there are a lot of other senior quarterbacks around the country who are completely undeserving based on merit but should now feel slighted. What about Todd Boekman for Heisman? He’s a senior quarterback on a team that is actually good and even though he sucked at the end of last season he played decent in some big spots last year. Oh wait…they have Beanie Wells, a legitimate Heisman candidate who has talent and doesn’t pee all over himself against good teams.

It got me to thinking though…if Curtis Painter is now a candidate for the Heisman trophy (he’s not in reality…but just for the sake of argument) who else now deserves consideration for major awards? How about Travis Hafner for AL MVP? Or Kelvin Sampson for Coach of the Year? Maybe Paul Walker will get an Oscar campaign someday. Perhaps John Edwards for Husband of the Year? Or how about we send out calendars and DVDs promoting Beano Cook for “Most Attractive Neck.”

The sad thing is that there is precedent for a turd like Curtis Painter being a legitimate Heisman candidate. What do Gino Torretta, Jason White, and Eric Crouch all have in common? Aside from the fact that they did nothing in the NFL (something Curtis Painter will share with them), they were all senior quarterbacks who won the Heisman Trophy even though there were clearly better players in college football that year.

However, there is one big distinction between them and Curtis Painter: THEIR TEAMS WERE GOOD! National championship good! Purdue will be a second-class citizen in a conference that isn’t all that good or deep in the first place. And his coach has a stupid mustache. Seriously…name the last player to play for a coach with a stupid mustache that won the Heisman trophy. This is yet another in the litany of strike against the Curtis Painter for Heisman campaign.

It just shocks me that a public university like Purdue could be allowed to throw away money like this. There are so many other positive things that the money could have been used for. Cancer research. Charitable donations. Even campus beatification. And think about all of the male Purdue students in bars wearing their plaid shirts tucked into jorts and trying to spit game on the lovely Purdue co-eds (and this case lovely is actually a synonym for “not lovely”) and getting shot down mercilessly. If the money used for “Curtis Painter for Heisman” had gone to purchasing these guys some decent clothes they might get ass once in a while. Then all the guys in West Lafayette wouldn’t walk around like they have sticks up their butts and they might get over the fact that their teams never win anything of significance and they might realize their error in consistently considering just being decent to be some sort of achievement.

So, consider this post to be the first of many official votes in the column of “Curtis Painter Has No Chance And Shouldn’t Even Be Considered for The Heisman Trophy.” After he cleans up against Purdue’s inferior non-conference schedule and Purdue is 4-0 and ranked #23 and all of their fans have dickjaurons (this is an inside joke term among the writing team of Midwest Sports Fans that means a very tiny erection, by the way) some idiot like Mark May will probably list Curtis Painter among their Heisman candidates. But then Purdue will lose a succession of big games and Painter will play terrible and we’ll never have to hear “Curtis Painter” and “Heisman” in the same sentence again.

Until then, just try your best not to impale yourself with the wooden rod of a plunger. I resisted the urge…somehow…after reading about this completely unnecessary and unwarranted Heisman campaign…and I’m sure you can too.

On another note, does anyone know when the Kellen Lewis for Heisman Campaign will officially begin?